Drive Time
8h 31m
Distance
291.9 mi
470 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$64
one way
Photo: Albert Koenig
The drive from Ketchikan, AK to Juneau, AK covers 291.9 miles and takes about 8h 31m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on Water Street, Tongass Avenue, Ketchikan Ferry Terminal Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $63.53 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
145.9 miles from Ketchikan, AK
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 15m into the drive .
Expect a 8h 31m drive with frequent turns across 291.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 8h 31m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Ketchikan, AK to Juneau, AK is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Water Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Tongass Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Ketchikan Ferry Terminal Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Alaska Marine Highway - Prince Rupert ↔ Ketchikan | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Alaska Marine Highway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Yellowhead Highway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Park Avenue | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| 2nd Avenue West | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between Ketchikan, AK and Juneau, AK.
Start on the route
At the end of the road, turn right onto Water Street
Continue on Water Street
Turn left onto Tongass Avenue
Turn left
Turn right
Turn left onto Ketchikan Ferry Terminal Road
Turn slight left onto Alaska Marine Highway - Prince Rupert ↔ Ketchikan
Continue on Alaska Marine Highway
Continue on Alaska Marine Highway
Continue on Alaska Marine Highway
Turn sharp left
Continue on Yellowhead Highway
Continue on Park Avenue
Continue on 2nd Avenue West
Keep slight right to continue on McBride Street
Continue on Yellowhead Highway
Continue on Yellowhead Highway
At the end of the road, turn left onto Keith Avenue
Continue on Yellowhead Highway
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Yellowhead Highway
Exit the roundabout onto Yellowhead Highway
Turn left onto Cassiar Highway
Continue on Cassiar Highway
Continue on Cassiar Highway
At the end of the road, turn left onto Alaska Highway
Continue on Haines Road
Continue on Haines Highway
Continue on Haines Hwy Cut-Off
Continue on Main Street
Turn left onto 2nd Avenue
Turn slight right onto Lutak Road
Turn right
Continue straight
Turn left onto Ferry Terminal - Haines {Lutak)
Turn straight onto Alaska Marine Highway - Juneau-Haines
Continue straight
At the end of the road, turn right onto Glacier Highway
Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward DeHart's Traffic Circle
Exit the rotary onto Glacier Highway
Turn straight onto Egan Drive
Turn left onto Highland Drive
Turn right onto Glacier Avenue
Turn left onto West 9th Street
Turn right
Arrive at your destination
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 80 miles or 2h 20m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 145.9 miles or 4h 15m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 145.9 miles or 4h 15m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 6h 59m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Juneau, AK than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Ketchikan, AK so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Ketchikan, AK
Aim for roughly 146 miles and 4.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Juneau, AK
Aim for roughly 146 miles and 4.3 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 145.9 mi from Ketchikan, AK · 4h 15m into the drive
Night 1
Overnight stop window
146 mi · about 4.3h in
A practical overnight split lands around 146 miles or 4.3 hours into the drive.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Halfway reset
Meal breakThe midpoint is around 145.9 miles from Ketchikan, AK, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 146 miles or 4.3 hours on the road.
The final approach into Juneau, AK usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Juneau, AK.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Juneau, AK with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$63.53 one way
$127.06 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.82 | $66.83 | $133.65 |
| premium | $6.02 | $69.21 | $138.41 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $64.85 | $129.70 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$64
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$194–$304
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 102.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $31 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 87.6 | 1 | $30.65 | $14.01 |
| Efficient EV | 73 | 0 | $25.54 | $11.68 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 116.8 | 1 | $40.87 | $18.68 |
Gas CO2
102 kg
EV CO2
34 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Afternoon in Ketchikan on Saturday
Local time
1:03 PM
AKDT
Current temp
34°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Afternoon in Juneau on Saturday
Local time
1:03 PM
AKDT
Current temp
30°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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